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Published on: February 14, 2014
Burst firing is a neural code in an insect auditory system.
Hugo G Eyherabide1, Ariel Rokem, Andreas V M Herz
1Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Germany.
Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience
|October 24, 2008
Summary
Neurons exhibit burst firing, alternating between high-frequency discharges and silence. This study reveals that grasshopper auditory neurons use the number of spikes per burst to encode sound information, not the timing of individual spikes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory System Research
- Neural Coding
Background:
- Neurons exhibit burst firing, a pattern of high-frequency discharges followed by silent intervals.
- Understanding the factors influencing burst firing is crucial for deciphering neural communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of acoustic stimulus characteristics on burst firing in grasshopper auditory receptor neurons.
- To quantitatively analyze the interaction between stimulus temporal modulations and neuronal burst activity.
- To determine how information about sound transients is encoded in burst firing patterns.
Main Methods:
- In vivo electrophysiological recordings from grasshopper auditory receptor neurons.
- Presentation of various acoustic stimulus types with distinct temporal modulations.
- Quantitative analysis of burst probability, burst characteristics, and information-theoretic analysis.
Main Results:
- Burst probability and characteristics are significantly influenced by temporal modulations in acoustic stimuli.
- Bursts with a specific number of spikes are triggered by stimulus deflections of particular intensity and duration.
- The number of spikes per burst reliably encodes sound transient amplitude and duration, while burst onset time reflects occurrence.
Conclusions:
- Neuronal burst firing is shaped by both cell-intrinsic properties and stimulus-neuron interactions.
- A sparse neural code, based on the number of spikes per burst, represents auditory information efficiently.
- Grasshopper auditory neurons encode a substantial portion of transmitted information within their burst activity.
Related Concept Videos
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
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01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
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01:22Hair Cells
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
01:09Synaptic Signaling
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Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
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